Community activist Buck Jones, right, addresses the crowd at an anti-violence rally at Simmons Park in Norristown Friday, July 14, 2017.
Katie Kohler ― For Digital First Media

NORRISTOWN >> Hours after Jordan Scott’s funeral, members of the community gathered at Simmons Park for a prayer vigil that featured a discussion for solutions of violence.

Scott, 16, died July 6 in a double shooting at Chain Street and Blackberry Alley.

The vigil was a continuation of an evening of prayer from the previous Friday, July 8, which community advocate Buck Jones and District Judge Greg Scott coordinated.

“I believe in the power of prayer. With God in the mix of anything, anything is possible,” Scott said. “What’s really troubling is the age of the young people. These aren’t random. From what I’ve read they are targeted situations. But my heart hurts and I have to do something.”

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Despite the rain through the day and evening Friday, the vigil was held as planned as fliers for the event were circulated in both English and Spanish.

“We come here today because we want to change the way we do things. We want different results than the result we’ve been having,” Jones began. “The distance between your dream and your reality is action. We came here today to develop an action plan. We aren’t out here marching for the victims. We are marching on the villains. No longer is it culturally acceptable where we are going to hide the murderers in our own homes ― ‘hood acceptable’ to buy a T-shirt with the victim’s face on it and not tell his family who did it but you know.”

Half of a basketball court at Simmons Park on Oak Street was filled with elected officials, members of community organizations, clergy and concerned citizens.

When Talbot addressed the crowd, he noted it was a familiar site over his 24-year career. He sees when emotions run high people show up, but the fervor tapers off, he said, and he hoped this time would be different.

“Only in a community where it is tolerated will these types of things happen,” Talbot said. “I don’t think I’ve ever stood over top of a homicide victim who’s had a father in the home who was behaving like a father. Routinely, dad is missing. If dad is missing we are all going to have to step up. It has to extend beyond marching, posting on Facebook, and looking away when something bad happens. No one is coming to save the kids that are here. We have to do it ourselves. If we are waiting for the knight in shining armor we are going to continue to lose people who dying at the age they are dying.”

Jones offered to find sponsors for 15 to 20 Norristown children to attend Camp Rainbow, which offers a discounted rate for the children of the area. Representatives from Camp Rainbow were on hand discussing activities that include team building and problem solving.

While some cited the lack of activities for kids in Norristown, Talbot said that or the lack of a job doesn’t make it acceptable to pick up a gun.

“We’ve all got to be the police chief in our house, in our neighborhood, on our block,” he said. “Why is this basketball court not filled with people? How many people need to get killed? What number before its unacceptable? Kids don’t raise themselves.”

On the subject of where kids are obtaining the guns and tougher policing for gunrunners, Talbot said, “This police department has done a lot to make it a safer community. Keep your kid off of drugs. Raise your child so they don’t want a gun. What’s going to make a difference is creating a community where the kid doesn’t want a gun.”

The evening continued with stops at Green and Marshall streets and the 1000 block of Willow Street and concluded at Chain and Marshall streets.

“I’m concerned for the kids,” said Dalbert Harrison, a Norristown resident for 35 years. “I try all I can do anything I can for the kids. We try to encourage them and the parents. The kids that they call at- risk kids … they feel neglected and they get in trouble. Most of them … all they want is a hug. A lot of them need love.”